Wilmington Friends’ homecoming is on October 26th, and with the date fast approaching Quakers sports teams are excited to take the court, turf, and gridiron on this momentous, annual occasion. Although the excitement is felt throughout the Friends community, none may be more enthused than those in the class of 2020, who will be playing in their last Friends homecoming games. It is bittersweet to see them go, but as we celebrate their accomplishments and support them in their final competitions this year, we give recognition to their hard work and wish them luck in the future. Here is what you can expect from Friends’ athletics on homecoming weekend.

Homecoming day will begin with the boys soccer team taking on St. Andrews at 11:00am. The soccer team has picked up right where they left off last season, as they currently hold an undefeated record of 7-0-2. The Quakers previously beat St. Andrews earlier last season, but were defeated in the last game of their regular schedule. In their first game this season, the two tied. With that in mind, the Quakers are highly motivated to break the stalemate in what should be a highly competitive and entertaining game.

The Quaker cross country team will be active homecoming weekend at the DISC tournament at St. Andrew’s on Friday the 25th. The team is optimistic heading into the tournament as they have had a fun and successful season thus far. Among division 2 schools, the Quaker cross country team is ranked 1st in the state, and hopes to maintain momentum as they head into the last leg of the season. When asked about the team’s success this season, Aine Grubb 21’ stated: “I think the biggest key to our success has been our team chemistry. The fact that we’re all supportive, driven, and enjoy running together, makes working to accomplish our goals that much easier. Our team has been doing as well as we thought we were going to do and we’re excited for our big meets coming up.”

The girls field hockey team will take the field at noon against St. Andrews. As they are approaching inner-conference play, the team has kicked off the fall season with a commanding 6-2 record. Similar to the cross country team, the field hockey team credits their success to their team chemistry and hardworking atmosphere. When asked how she felt about playing in her last Friends homecoming, senior Katrina Winfield 20’ said: “It’s hard to believe that time has gone by this quick. I never thought I’d be the senior saying goodbye, but seeing how much our team has progressed brings back so many good memories. I’m really excited to play St. Andrews and look forward to finishing the season strong.” The independent conference is considered to be one of, if not the toughest field hockey conference in the state. The Quakers hope for a homecoming victory, as they look confidently towards the home stretch of the season.

The second to last game of the day will be played by the girls volleyball team at 12:30pm against St. Thomas More. Although they currently hold a record of 3-6, the team remains optimistic for a successful homecoming. This season has not been easy, but by keeping high spirits and an unwavering work ethic, the Quakers look to finish the season strong.

The Friends football team will finish the day against St. Andrews at 2:30pm. This will be their second of three conference games to conclude the regular season. With only 9 total games in what has been one of the toughest schedules in the team’s history, the Quakers currently hold a record of 3-2. Adversity is nothing new to Friends football. With all of their goals within reach, the Quakers remain driven towards their last few games. Senior Manny Adebi had this to say about this season: “As a team, we’ve done well thus far but we aren’t done yet. There is still work to be done to accomplish what we want to accomplish this season. As seniors, we all know that the end of high school football is coming fast, so we’re all I’m determined to leave it all out on the field, and finish every game without any regrets.”

WIlmington Friends’ Sports Homecoming Games

Overall it is looking to be great final homecoming for all the seniors as they give it one last try. All the different the teams will be competing a high level and it should be a great way to end the month of October.